Rika came back after a few minutes or so. She brought over two bowls of beef stew, I stared at her suspiciously as she handed me the bowl and sat down. “If you are wondering what the meat is, it's exactly what you think it is.” Well that's that I guess… We ate in silence for most of the conversation, that is until I regained some strength.

“My Variant isn't anything offensive.” I said out of the blue, most of my bowl is empty, small chunks of meat gathered at the bottom of the wooden container. “Hm?” Rika replied, she must have been focused on eating.

“My Variant, I used it to fight the Minotaur, but that wasn't what killed it.” To think that I'm being praised for a feat that wasn't really mine is something that put me off, I want to clear it up. “Well what is your Variant?” I would mind if anyone else had asked me this if they were not explicitly an ally, but it's Rika, it'll be fine.

“I can see the future temporarily, and what I see completely dictates my actions for the next few moments.” It's less ‘dictate’, more ‘take complete control of my body’ but I can't really explain that properly, it's a vivid process that I've been exposed to two times now.

“I see, so how did you beat the Minotaur then?” Rika finished up the last of her food, I noticed that she had some stew around her lips, forming a funny looking mustache “you got something on your face by the way” she quickly wiped it off and I continued with my rambles.

“I-I saw that thing, kill me more than a thousand.. No, a million times. It was just the same damn Minotaur, death after death, I had to absorb each and every detail, not a single mistake could be made or I'd end up dead on the floor.” My eyebrows furrowed, I stared at my near empty bowl as I spoke.

“I spliced together the most important information, Ryo’s weapon making, Aya’s stalling capabilities, the Minotaurs weaknesses… Again and again, within a fraction of a millisecond.. I watched myself perform each and every future, scenarios of each kind ‘what weapon should Ryo make?’ and others played over and over in my mind…”

“Takumi, listen” Rika said with a more imposing and worried voice than before, I snapped out of my ranting. “What?” I turned to face her, she looked concerned.

“You don't need to- You shouldn't use that Variant. Look at what it's doing to you” Rika’s eyes were wide, her playful attitude gone. “What is it doing to me?” Apart from the things that spring up during the using of the Variant, I don't-

“you are crying, Takumi…”

I could feel it, the tears running down my face. I am not… I am not okay, I want to go home, I don't want to be here. I tried to brush it off, calling everything cliche or trying to immerse myself in the situation. It's a lie, it's all a façade. I'm not the person I pretend to be, I'm a lonely edgy loser that runs from his issues..

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Rika sat there as I wiped my tears, I must look pretty pathetic right now. “Listen, it's going to be alright, you hear me? Takumi..” After a little bit of consolation, Rika spoke again.

"Its not your fault. The Variants, I don't think they were meant to help us. Don't rely on what it tells you, it isn't real."

Thinking about it now, I've been desperately trying to progress through this place like some hero. I shouldn't have ran into that maze, I shouldn't have fought the Minotaur.

"What do you think that lady with the wings was?" I said, I leaned my head back against the wall, staring at the ceiling above.

I never wanted to be here, but at the same time, I cant rush my way out. This place is a hellish nightmare, its built to look like the stories and games we are all familiar with, except all the horrors are real, every single one of them.

"She looked something like an angel I guess, but I didn't really get that feeling from her, especially what she said.." Rika shuddered, it seems she's a lot more lively than how she was in the class.

"What's your Variant Rika?" I asked, maybe if she actually tells me the truth then I can trust her more. Right now it just seems like a different person playing the role of Rika, and adding their own stuff into the script. Its off-putting basically.

Rika sighed "Fine, but don't tell anyone" "I thought that was a given, you aren't telling anyone about me are you?" I said that in a bit more panic then I would have liked.

"Of course, of course.. definitely, sure." I then jabbed her in the arm, I feel like an actual normal person for once.

"My Variant, 'Reflections' can copy other peoples Variants. And I can copy it regardless of whether I know about the Variant in the first place, which is why I didn't tell anyone."

"..Because then people wouldn't trust you?" She snapped her fingers "Bingo. Nobody wants their Variant copied and figured out by another person, soon enough, everyone will stop trusting each other and start plotting against each other."

"At that time, information on other people will be crucial. Rika, are you saying that we should be allies?" "I'm forcing you to, we just revealed very important information about our Variants, why do you think I told you?"

I am caught here, I have no excuse not to ally with her. But then again, there's pretty much nobody else in this class that I trust, except maybe Ryo and Aya. "Fine, just don't tell anyone I cried about my Variant." I gave out my hand, expecting to shake on it and seal the deal as allies in the dungeon.

Rika shook it "Oh please, everyone else has cried over worse, don't fret it. By the way, are you going to finish that?" She was referring to my now cold stew. I laughed, I haven't laughed in a good while.

After all that, it doesn't seem so bad. Currently, I have the highest level, 3 allies, there's some livable spaces that I discovered for everyone else. Sure, I cried over how painful my Variant was, but that's part of the process I guess.

I wont destroy myself simply to leave this dungeon, simple as that. Now to just leave the damn place.